Empowering Women in Southern Serbia to Start and Manage Their Own Businesses
Within the framework of the project “My Idea, My Business: Empowering Women for Entrepreneurship and Climate Resilience in Southern Serbia”, the Center for Democracy Foundation organized a “Start Me Up” training on business creation and management in Pirot from June 4-6, 2026.
The three-day interactive program, themed “Launch Your Idea: First Steps Towards a Sustainable Business”, brought together 17 women from the Pirot District who demonstrated high motivation to enhance their entrepreneurial skills and gain insights into sustainable business models and social entrepreneurship.
The development of business ideas, core management skills, financial planning, and marketing were at the core of the program, which opens doors to greater women’s participation in business, while promoting women’s entrepreneurship, equal opportunities, and gender equality.
💡 What did the participants achieve?
Through dynamic workshops, mentoring support, and peer-to-peer discussions, 17 women from the Pirot District acquired practical knowledge in management, finance, and social entrepreneurship. By exchanging experiences and working in teams, the participants translated their visions into initial, sustainable business plans for small enterprises.
🌱 What changes do we bring to the community?
By breaking down the barriers that young women face when starting a business, we transform the entire local community. Women’s economic empowerment and support for social entrepreneurship are key steps toward a more inclusive society, strengthening resilience, and fostering active citizen participation in the development of southern Serbia.
💬 “A wonderful experience that helped me identify potential obstacles, but also provided me with the practical knowledge to overcome them. I now look forward to the development of my small private business with much more confidence,” shared one of the participants from the Pirot District.
🧩 What are the next steps?
Our participants will continue working to refine their business concepts and apply their newly acquired entrepreneurial skills. For other social stakeholders – this is an invitation to support women’s and social entrepreneurship in your own environments, because economically stable and empowered women build a fairer and stronger community!
✨ The “My Idea, My Business: Project to Empower Women for Entrepreneurship and Climate Change Resilience in Southern Serbia” is implemented by the Center for Democracy Foundation with the financial support of the European Association for Local Democracy (ALDA) within the BOOST project, funded by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD).
Center for Democracy Foundation
